Toward To Network Governance: Development Approach Of Societal Governance And Response To The Plights

With the change of society, It is a general consensus that societal governance gradually transition from rule type to the management type, and then to network governance. With the emergence of network governance, the term became a popular word in the field of the theory and practice of social sciences, particularly in the domain of societal governance. Making a comprehensive survey of the existing research, It is a general consensus that the rise and development of network governance has its specific background, and that is how to achieve governance of public affairs in an increasingly high degree of complexity, uncertainty network society. Based on the current basic consensus, some scholars emphasize public value management as a new narrative for network governance, such as Gerry Stoker. More scholars, take Ava, Jacob as example, in more sense, they consider the network governance as a process of governance of deliberative democracy and decision-making. From the real background of the governance of wicked problems, some scholars, such as Eric, Joop, describe network governance as a new societal governance, which can beyond public administration and new public management. Based on the complex state of environment, they also point out the basic requirements of improving the adaptability of societal governance and the possibility of network governance. Although these studies of network governance provides a foundation for future research, some loss of these perspectives, is not conducive to the expansion of network governance, in a certain sense, not only the advantages of network governance has not been well represented, but also result in the concept of network governance vague and fragmented. The reason why the network governance has obvious superiority is that it is based on the process of societal governance, and focus on the new situation and new problems, which have integrated effect on its theoretical construction and functional development. In this sense, based on a systematic analysis framework, and from a variety of factors to analyze societal governance in the view of network governance, may be a important direction of the future of network governance research. In view of this, the author tries to construct a analysis framework based on "concept, subject, object and mediator", within this research framework, the factors that affect the societal governance and the applicability of the network governance will be discussed.In reality, Societal governance is affected by many complex factors, different factor may be plays a different role, The values are basic factors of influencing the societal governance, The subjects are active factors that affects the societal governance, the objects are real factors affecting societal governance, the mediators are external factors that affect societal governance. The reason why the traditional societal governance model does not apply to the practices of societal governance under network society, this is because there are four complex dilemmas, such as value dilemma, coordination dilemma, inherent dilemma, externalization dilemma. Comprehensively, traditional societal governance model, it may cope with something in a particular aspect of the plights, but restricted to its limitations, it is difficult for it to handle the all. Take complex reflection group as its logical start, network governance, by exploring a variety of forms of governance network, and in which explore multiple subjects such as government, market and society that are widely involved in the cooperative governance, that can effectively improve the production of public value, promote the collaborative governance of multiple subjects and improve the difficult problem of governability and to achieve adaptable governance. So, in a certain sense, network governance can adapt to highly complex, practical needs under the uncertainty network society.In view of the applicability of network governance, it is obvious that governance based on network to promote the practice of social governance, should adhere to the basic principles, open and inclusive principle, the principle of deliberative democracy, the principle of composite governance, and dynamic adjustment principle. Take these principles as the cornerstone of network governance, it is clear that to achieve effective societal governance, requiring four aspects: the first is to promote public value reproduction in governance networks; the second is to promote the expansion of the main deliberation, combined with multiple values in governance networks; the third is to promote the good governance of wicked problems in governance networks; the fourth is to promote the adaptability of societal governance in governance networks. However, as any wicked problems’ governance, the solution of a problem is often accompanied by the emergence of a certain sense of derivation. Take network governance as the way to deal with social problems, need to pay attention to four areas, which are guarding against a deep conflict between the values, preventing the exclusion of vulnerable groups in the process deliberation, avoiding the repeated effects of wicked problems in the process of societal governance, overcoming the retarding effect of mediator during the process of adaptive governance.Network governance, to mature in Europe, gradually spread to the United States, and has been widely used in the practice of societal governance. Take “Networks for Older People’s Care” and “W-2 Network Governance Model” as examples, Their successful operation, not only prove the validity and applicability of the network governance, but also provide some experience for the operation of the societal governance of china in the perspective of network governance. Although there are some certain particularity under the background of Chinese societal governance, but many social problems in China, which is more or less centrally occurred in the past today’s developed countries over the transition period, in a word, network governance has some applicability in the transition period of Chinese societal governance. It should be noted that, the application of network governance to promote the process of Chinese societal governance development, we should combine the generality of network governance with the particularity of Chinese societal governance.